Choosing your gauges & Instruments

Gauges aren't always the most glamourous side of dive gear, but they’re an absolute essential!

When choosing your gauges, it’s important to think about exactly what you want and need to know for your own SCUBA setup. On the most simple end of the scale, is something like the Mares single pressure gauge. These compact units are exactly what they say on the tin - a submersible pressure gauge (SPG) and nothing more. This is ideal for the diver who wears a wrist mounted dive computer, wants to stay streamlined and doesn’t need depth monitoring on their gauges.

For a little more dive info, take a look at the combo gauges from both Performance Diver and Genesis. These units combine both an SPG and a depth gauge to give you the essentials. These units are our most popular as they are still fairly compact, yet give you a wealth of information as well as acting as a backup depth gauge for those wrist mounted computer wearers. Also, by having the depth gauge and wearing a dive watch or timer, you’ll be able to monitor your dive and make sure you stick to your dive plan!

Many of these double gauges are also upgradeable into triple gauges! This adds a compass into your unit, allowing you to navigate effectively underwater. See the Genesis triple gauge as an example. Being able to safely navigate underwater is always a good idea, and if you buy a triple console you’ll save money compared to buying a double and adding a compass later.

Finally, many gauge consoles also feature a dive computer! This is the ultimate in dive monitoring, making sure you keep fully aware of your dive profile and helping to maximise your safety. For more information about dive computers, just click here.